The Calm Down Box
I'm always looking for effective methods of teaching my kids how to cope with life and in the life of a toddler, temper tantrums are usually what results when something does not go their way. Well, for my kids at least!
A good friend of mine shared the Calm Down Box with me and I thought it was a brilliant way to educate my kids on how to self-regulate on their own. Self-regulation can be defined as the ability to stay calmly focused and alert, which often involves – but cannot be reduced to – self-control.
I filled our box with things my kids enjoy and keep it at the bottom of our main floor stairs as time outs usually take place there. This space works well for us as it provides the perfect amount of room for us to gather and reflect on our own thoughts and decisions, in peace and quiet.
Here's what I put in my kids Calm Down Box
I've made these awesome sensory bottles before and since my kids enjoyed them, I decided to make new ones and keep them in the box too. My Son loves shaking them and watching the beads and water bubbles move slowly up and down.
For the smelling senses! Calming scents like lavender are great for kids. My friend has a few lemon scented in hers.
Play dough is my kids kryptonite! It keeps them so occupied and is great for calming even the most upset toddlers (trust me, I know ;))
Slinkies! Fun for all ages. This may or may not be my item of choice when I need to take a few minutes to myself.
Bubbles are so much fun and also the perfect calming tool. Blowing bubbles is our version of breathing techniques for toddlers!
Pipe cleaners seems pretty useless to us but to toddlers they can become animals, swords and really anything they want! These make great imaginative play toys. To calm myself down, I wrap one around my finger and pull straight when done. My daughter enjoys doing this too!
Age-appropriate story books! My kids love to read and when it's something of interest, it can immediately calm them down.
Mini puzzles! My son loves puzzles so I thought I would incorporate smaller ones into the box.
Dry-erase boards (and dont forget the dry erase pens). Perfect for doodling and practicing writing!
Mini colouring books and stickers. My daughter loves to colour and we all know how much of a stress reliever colouring can be. She's totally in the zone when she's colouring and in the end, I get a great piece of art I can hang up when she's done!
Not pictured here is our "Calm Down Book" (more of this later!) that I'm currently having made and a squishy ball. I'm also looking for a few fidget toys to include in the box which I will probably blog about in the next few days.